The Federation of Nigerian Mining Host Communities (FNMHC) has expressed concern over the initial attribution by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) of the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in its custody in Minna, Niger State, to a suspected disease outbreak before any investigation had established the cause of death.
The federation said the development raised serious questions about the circumstances surrounding the deaths and underscored the need for an independent, transparent and comprehensive investigation into the incident.
The victims were reportedly arrested on September 15 and 16, 2026, during enforcement operations against suspected illegal miners around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna and subsequently detained at an NSCDC facility. Their deaths were discovered in the early hours of September 17.
In a statement signed by its Co-Chairs, Dr. Temitope Olaifa and Alh. Abubakar Wushishi, the FNMHC said it was “appalled” that the deaths were initially attributed to a suspected disease outbreak before investigations had established what caused them.
The federation, however, welcomed the subsequent clarification by the NSCDC national headquarters that the cause of death had not been established and that an investigative team had been constituted to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
It also commended the Federal Government for suspending the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pending the outcome of investigations, while noting that the Niger State Police Command had also commenced an investigation.
According to the mining host communities, the deaths of 37 people within two days while in state custody demand an investigation capable of establishing what happened from the point of arrest to the discovery of the bodies, as well as determining individual and institutional responsibility where wrongdoing is established.
“An incident in which 37 people lose their lives within two days in state custody demands an investigation that is independent, transparent, comprehensive, and capable of establishing individual and institutional responsibility,” the federation said.
FNMHC called for a full forensic determination of the cause and manner of death, urging authorities to preserve and examine all available evidence relating to the arrests, conditions of detention, medical attention provided to the detainees and the events preceding their deaths.
The federation also raised concern over reports that some of the deceased were minors and called for the circumstances of their arrest and detention to be established.
It further urged authorities to investigate allegations by relatives that they were prevented from providing food to detainees and that officials allegedly demanded N100,000 for the release of individual detainees.
The allegations, it said, should be independently investigated because they raise serious questions about the treatment of detainees, possible extortion and the exercise of custodial authority.
The group also called for an independent investigation into the security response to protests that followed the deaths in Minna, particularly reports alleging the use of live ammunition against protesters.
It said the circumstances surrounding the deployment and use of force should be established and assessed against applicable laws and standards governing policing and public assemblies.
FNMHC stressed that the enforcement of mining laws should not be divorced from the protection of human rights, arguing that suspected illegal miners remained entitled to the protection of the law.
“Arrest and detention do not suspend the state’s obligation to protect life and human dignity,” the federation said.
It also cautioned that enforcement alone could not resolve the challenges associated with unsafe and informal mining, urging government to address the conditions that allow dangerous mining activities to persist while ensuring effective safety, environmental and human rights safeguards.
The federation demanded accountability at every level where wrongdoing is established, saying the suspension of the Niger State NSCDC commandant should not preclude further disciplinary or legal action arising from the outcome of investigations.
It also called for protection of witnesses, surviving detainees, relatives and community members who may provide information about the incident, urging authorities to ensure that no one is intimidated or prevented from cooperating with investigators.
While acknowledging the three-day mourning period declared by the Niger State Government and other steps announced by federal and state authorities, FNMHC said mourning should not substitute for accountability.
The federation insisted that the investigation must establish how 37 people came to die in custody and identify those responsible if violations or wrongdoing are established.
“The families of the deceased, the affected mining communities and the Nigerian public deserve nothing less than the truth,” it said.
